Reports presented at the Congress recently revived struggle over group

The Government has a police force that monitors without any control to citizens and informs the President of the Republic of any conduct "destabilizing."

This is the Intelligence and National Security (known as DIS), a body under the Ministry of the Presidency and created by Act number 7410 Police force since 1994.

Among his responsibilities are to "carry out surveillance on state security and property."

Under its current director, Roberto Solorzano, the DIS's mission is "to preserve and defend democracy."That work is done from informants whose identity is protected and the analysis of the data they provide.

Currently, says Solorzano, organizations focus on drug trafficking and arms trafficking, which coincides with the work of the Drug Control Police (PCD) and the Judicial Investigation Organization (OIJ).

The DIS, however, can not bring any case before the judicial authorities.To do this you must go to OIJ.

"There has always been subversive groups, but does not come to light because it would weaken the country," says Solorzano.

In this government, the police received an injection of resources, including cars, computers and wage increases.

"Don Oscar and Don Rodrigo (Arias) say that where there is no army intelligence is important," says the Director.

Despite these explanations, the methods of the questions faced by DIS.

Dudas.The last appeared in the legislative committee investigating possible links here with the FARC and the paramilitaries.

The forum received as input for their research first document hundreds of pages with reports of PCD and the Colombian authorities.

Also a report of the DIS, but no seals or signatures, entitled "FARC in Costa Rica."

In it are pictures and details of Costa Ricans who met with people allegedly linked to the FARC in the past two decades.Including Deputy Jose Merino Del Rio.

"This report shows that I secretly took photos and then used them to try to damage my image and reputation, even in the referendum campaign," complained the legislature.

In addition, there is information of members of organizations and movements such as the United Left Party and human rights groups and unions.

"The DIS part, for example, that a leftist political movements have to be watched, bypassing constitutional attributes," said Merino.

This kind of reports without signatures or seals on persons or organizations led to the attorney general himself President Francisco Dall'Anese, to consider the DIS as a "political police".

Faced with this qualifier, as Solorzano both former directors of the DIS out in his defense.

"I do not know who is who here.I do not know who is the PAC or Unity, this is not about politics, is strictly forbidden, "Solorzano said.

For Mario Soto, director between 1994 and 1996, the DIS was a political police force during the Cold War but at the end, in 1991, the term "disappeared."

"The DIS becomes more a more a body of analysis.A very specific test is that agents do not use weapons or arrested, because they are a political police, what they do is to give early warning of issues affecting national security, "he said.

Rogelio Ramos, who served between 1998 and 2000, believes that if in doubt should check the work of the DIS.